Verona Murphy Becomes First Female Speaker of Irish Parliament

Independent TD Verona Murphy's election marks a historic moment as coalition negotiations continue in Ireland's hung parliament.

Verona Murphy, an independent TD for Wexford, was elected Ceann Comhairle with 89 votes, becoming the first woman to hold the position.
Her election follows recommendations from Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil leaders as part of ongoing efforts to form a coalition government.
Murphy's victory comes after a contentious process, with some candidates criticizing the strategy of using the speaker election as part of coalition negotiations.
The newly convened Dáil faces pressing issues, including housing, public services, and calls for action on imports from illegal Israeli settlements.
Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil, just two seats short of a majority, are expected to rely on independents like Murphy's Regional Group to form a government.